Daily use of computers at the workplace, in educational institutions, and in the home cause many people to spend long hours in intense visual concentration directed at computer monitors or related instruments that present a flat focal plane. Since, such monitors and related instruments require the eyes to remain at a fixed focus distance for long periods, such activity may thereby cause eye strain and fatigue, weakening of the eye muscles, and the gradual limitation or loss of visual function with prolonged use. The vision risks associated with using computer monitors and video display terminals (VDTs) has been described by OSHA in an extensive study release May, 1989. Major publications such as U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, Scientific American, PC Personal Computing, and PC Week have repeatedly discussed growing problems with eye strain in the workplace that are associated with prolonged use of computers. Eye patients who suffer visual strain and fatigue are often prescribed daily eye exercises which usually involve the repeated movement of common objects such as two pencils back and forth in front of the eyes thereby changing the focal plane and exercising a variety of eye functions.
United States Patents have been awarded for several inventions that are used in conjunction with computer monitors or VDTs that are intended to provide such eye exercises and or to relieve eye strain associated with extended use.In related art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,702 describes a modified lens method for relieving eye strain and fatigue associated with extended viewing of VDTs. Separately, U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,859 describes an adjustable mirror system that also is designed to save vision and reduce eye strain and focusing problems associated with viewing computer monitors or VDTs. Separately, Bonham (U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,888) describes a hologram system which helps reduce eye strain and focusing problems associated with extended use of computer monitors or VDTs by presenting alternating or shifting holographic images which appear to be focused at different planes and thus cause exercise of the ciliary muscle of the eye. This device requires intentional physical movement of the user and or a motorized and illuminating device with timing mechanisms. All of the above inventions are relatively expensive and require specific adaptations and actions by the user.
Applicants have devised small and inexpensive simple mechanical devices, which can relieve or prevent eye strain or other visual dysfunction by being placed besides or on top of a computer monitor or similar instruments during the working period. These devices are comprised of one or more wire-like structural elements, one or more flexible connectors, and one or more light weight visual elements of variable size, color or shape that provide visual interest or entertainment. The structural elements are devised to hold the device or to carry the visual elements, and the connectors are designed to allow free and easy motion of one or more structural element and one or more visual element. Consequently, when the parts are designed and put together in a balanced configuration, said device or individual parts thereof will rotate and move in a somewhat random manner due to the motion of ambient air and without requiring mechanical or electrical forces to intentionally move the device. In that sense the device is self-powered once installed on or near the monitor. Since the visual elements and other parts will randomly move back and forth as well as laterally in the focal plane, involuntary as well as voluntary attention to the device will thereby exercise the eyes, relieve eye strain, and prevent vision dysfunction. This device has considerable advantages in terms of low cost, ease of use, easy acceptance and ease of replacement.
The invention is designed to appear decorative and entertaining, akin to the large sculptures made famous by the late Alexander Calder and similar to the artistic mobile sculptures designed, made and marketed by the Applicants for home and corporate art display. However, when manufactured in miniature form and displayed within approximately one foot of the viewing area of the computer monitor, it serves a different medical health function as described herein--even if the user is unaware of this function. Consequently, the invention can be provided in the workplace by the owners or officers of a company in order to reduce and alleviate eye strain as a medical health measure--even though the employees thereof may not be aware of the health effects, even if they may not intentionally use these devices for said health effects, and even if they commonly regard the invention as a decorative, entertaining or tasteful object of art. Since the health value of eye exercise is well known, employers may thereby receive some consideration or discount from their medical insurance company for providing and using said invention in the workplace, and thus there is a potential economic benefit as well as a potential health benefit to the use of such devices.
Since the medical health value of the invention is expected to gradually diminish over time as habituation ensues from repeated and or prolonged exposure, there is a need to remove and replace specific devices over time with other devices that provide different visual experiences and eye exercises as needed. Applicants have therefore devised modular connectors and related methods to easily and inexpensively create multiple embodiments of the invention with different structural, visual and motive characteristics. Consequently, said modular design is an important feature of the basic invention since the medical health value of the device is maintained or renewed by the repeated replacement by alternate embodiments of the same invention. The economic value of the invention is therefore dependent on patent protection for all alternate embodiments which employ this basic design of providing small mobile devices of visual interest that move somewhat randomly in the focal plane and that are attached to or in the near vicinity of computer monitors or other flat plane instruments.